Illuminated sign.



M. 0. RYAN.

, ILLUMINATED SIGN;

.7 APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1,1908. Patented May 25, 1909.

2 SHEETS-BEEBT 1.

gluuenfoz M. 0. RYAN. ILLUMINATED SIGN.

APPLIUATIO N FILED JUNE 1, 190B.

Patented May 25, 1909. 2 SHEETS-BHEET 2.

Tooll whom it may concern:

' declare the following to be a full, clear, and

- citizen of the United Phoenix, .Oswego county, New York, have MICHAEL RYAN, OF PHOENIX, NEW YORK,

ASSIGNOR TO JAMES HOMER BETIS, 01* NEW YORK, N. Y.

ILLUMINATED SIGN.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 25, 1909.

Application filed June 1, 1908. Serial No. 435,996.

- ,Be itknown that L'LIICIIAEL C. RYAN, a

invented certain new *and useful Improvements in Illuminated Signs and I do hereby exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use thesame.

"This invention relates to certain improvements in signs, and relates more particularly 1 tothe lamp boxes of illuminated signs; and

theobjects and nature of my invention will be readily understood by those skilled in the art in the light of the following description of "the accompanying drawings illustrating wh'atl now consider thepreferred embodiment-from amongother forms and arrangements'within the spirit and scope of my invention.

f An object ofthe invention is to provide certa n improvements in illuminated signs,

such as electric flash light or intermittent signs used for display or advertising purposes,;whereby such signs can be readily knocked down to occupy a relatively small space forpacking or shipment, and can be ,easily setup or assembled and locked or secured in operativeeondition.

v a A furtherebject of the invention is to =prov decerta1n,improvements 1n constructlon, arrangements and formations of arts,

. due-ed adapted for use 'in or as an illuminated fii-The features in construction and 'in-combina etfo-rthandspe'ciii'ed hereinafter.

. "Referring to the aceompanyin g drawings, ,=forming=a part-liereofjg f-Figure 1, is aper- I wspec tive:yiew leokingat the rear of the sign I qoi't assenibled'; Fig-J 2, is a verticaleross ection taken throughlt'he sign. Fig."- -3,-i a horizontal longitudinal section. Fig;

whereby an improvedand highly e cient lamp orlight box orainclosure will be protions; of-partsas more fully and particularly set 4", is avertical cross section showing modified 'meansfordetachably-' securing that? and bo'ttom'plates' to fthe'fframe or front;

i'gn knock'ecbdowh or the-drawings, -1, is the front plate or "frame of tl'i'e sign and can bemade" of -any de- States, residing at? ig. 5, showing the elernents sired shape, form or configuration. In the f specific example illustrated, this front plate is in the form of an open flat rectangular frame ada ted to receive the sign or display sheet or p ate 2, having transparent letters or other display characters or representations to be illuminated by an electric orother light placed behind said sign. This sign is face ofthe front 1, and extends across and closes the opening of the front 1. The sign can be formed in any desirable manner of any desirable material and is usually opaque except for the letters or other representations which are to be displayed at the front by a light at the rear thereof.

A light or lamp box preferably forming or constituting a reflecting inclosure, is arranged at the rear of the front 1, and is removably coupled or otherwise secured. thereto. In the specific example illustrated, this inclosure consists of two side or top and bottom pieces 3, and a single back piece 4, together with. means foridetachably holding or looking the same together. The back piece 4, can be formed of a single length or strip of flexible sheet metal, and when the'device is assembled or set up this sheet forms the conthe rear face of one vertical side or end bar of the front to the rear face of the opposite side or end bar thereof, and in width greater than the vertical width or height of the front opening or the sign closing the same. This rear wall or'sheet can be removably secured to the front by or through the medium of suitable means; For instance, I show the end edges of the sheet removably fitted in inclined sockets or grooves 40, opening through the rear faces of the vertical ends of the front [and arranged longitudinally of said ends.

The side or top and bottom pieces 3, are usually similar in form and construction, and each can be composed of a segmental sheet metal plate, and of-a size to engage the lon- 'gi-tudinal edge of the concaved back and close the opening between the frame and said back. Each side plate is preferably formed with a flange 30, along lts curved edge to fit the outer convexed surface of said -liack sheet. Each ieee or plate along its straight edge, is a apted to be detachably BY secured t0 the frontl, in any suitable manner so that said side plates will form the top and bottom wallsef. the inclosure. For musually secured to and fits against the rear caved rear wall of the inclosure curving from 9 stance, I show the straight edge of each plate 3, deflected or bent laterally to form the longitudinal securing flame or edge 31, deflected from the plane of the plate in a direction opposite to the direction in which the flange 30, extends from the plate. The securing flanges 31, are adapted to removably rest flat against the rear faces of the horizontal bars or upper and lower portions of j the front 1 and to be removably held thereto by turn buttons, hooks or projections 32,

confined or secured to said frame bars, so i that when the plates 3, are in their normal horizontal positions with the flanges 31 engaged by said projections 32, and with the i plates enga ing and bearing against the edges of the back, it will be impossible to rcmove said plates unless the projections 3 the back 4, be removed.

In assembling the parts, the back can be first placed in position with its end edges fitted in the inclined grooves 40, which are so i,

arranged as to maintain the back in its bowed or concaved position. The side plates 3,

can then be placed in position with their 1 curved edge flanges 30, lapping the outer convexed face of the concaved back, and the projections 32, can then be swung over securing l flanges 31, to lock the side plates to the front frame.

Suitable means can be rovided to hold the two side plates in locked position and against the longitudinal edges of the back 4. For instance, I show a contractile spring lock, wire or clamp 5, extending across the rear face of the back and having opposite end hooks, jaws or feet 6, fitting over the opposite side plates 3, and holding them to the back and if so desired having inbent extremities 7, entering perforations in the said lates 3. This spring clamp can be easily app ied to or removed from the inclosure in setting up or in knocking down the same. The inclosure can be formed at any suitable points with openings for the passageof the wires to the e ectric light ada ted to be arranged within the inclosure, an to receive the light holding bracket or fixture. For instance, I show the back 4, formed with a notch to constitute opening 8, and one or both side plates can have openings 9, for this pur ose.

If so desired, the side plates can be removably confined to the front by other means than the hooked projections 32, whether such projections be fixed or in the form of turn buttons. For instance, the longitudinal securing flanges 33, might be arranged at an acute angle with respect to the plane of the plate (see Fig. 5), and adapted to removably enter sockets or grooves 34, arranged longitudinally of the upper and lower bars of the front frame and opening through the rear face and transversel inclined. In this arrangement, the inc ined I are swung from over the flanges 31, or unless flan e or edge. 33, is inserted in a groove 34, by holding the body of the plate inclined away from the adjacent longitudinal edge of the back 4, and when inserted the plate is swung down to its operative position against and lapping the back 4, to hold the same in position. hen the end plates are in operative position, they can be removed, on y by swinging the same away from the back 4, to i permit removal of the inclined flanges 33. 1 from the inclined grooves 34.

l The sign sheet or plate can be rcmovably 1 arranged at the rear face of the front within the inclosure formed by the back and side pieces, and can be held to posit-ion by the 1 end portions of the back sheet and by the 1 side plates in a manner which will be readily understood by those skilled in the art.

The device can be packed in a small conipass for shipment, when knocked down, as the front is a flatframe, the back when released straightens out as a flat sheet, and the two side pieces are also flat sheets with very short flanges, while the spring clamp or hook occupies but a small space and rests on the flat sheets lying on the front.

' It is evident that various changes or modil iications might be resorted to, that features might be omitted or devices added without 4 departing from the s irit and scope of my invention and hence I do not wish to limit lmyself to the exact construction disclosed i but consider myself entitled to all such i changes as fall within the limits of the appended claims. i What I claim is 1. In an illuminated sign, in combination,

vlUO

a front frame having sockets at its rear face,

a back having its ends inserted in said socket's, side plates removably lapping said back and removably confined to said frame, and spring means engaging said plates and removably holding the same to said back.

2. In an illuminated sign, in combination, a front frame, and a knock-down inclosure behind the same comprising a back, side plates removablv lapping said back, means removably con ing said plates to said frame, and a removable tie between said plates.

3. In an illuminated sign, in combination, a front frame having sockets at opposite portions of its rear, and a knock-down lamp inclosure carried by and arranged in rear of said frame and comprising a flexible back sprung from normal flat position and at its ends inserted in said sockets and held bowed.

4. In an illuminated-sign, in combination, a front frame at its rear face having means side plates and having lateral ends removlit) for connecting lamp box plates thereto, a

I removable side plates flanged to removabl ably lapping eyer said pl a front frame having means for coupling a i,

lamp box to therein face thereof, and a knock-down lamp box comprising: it back,

overla the back and a s wing: arran 'ed platesandholding them to the back.

6. In an illuminated sign, in combination,- a frontfranie, aback coupled to said frame, side plates removably fitting the opposite side'edges of said back, means removably coupling the front edges of'said plates to said frame,-and a contractile spring connection between said' plates and -reniovably and vyieldingly holding the same to saidback edges. p

7 i lnflafi'i illuminated sign, in combination, a front Idi'splay sheetaeceiving frame, a back coupled tosaidframe, side-plates'at their front edges removably coupled to the rear. of

said frame, said plates r emovably fitting the oppos te side edges of said back, and meansarrang'ed fat th'e'exterior of said back and reinovably engaging said side plates to hold the same inset up position fitting said back) 8. Inan illuminated sign, in combination,

nd normally 5 a front disp]ay-shect-receivine frame at the op osite side and end portions ot its rear face lntving' means for connecting; thcfront edges otlanip box plates thereto, said means including a plate-edge-receiving elongated longitudinally-open socket, and a knockdown lainp box carried by and" arranged in p p rear of said frame and at its front edges coutransversely of the back and llttVUlI its opposite endsyieldingly overlapping the side )led thereto by said means and comprising a back, flanged side plates removably fitting the longitudinal edges thereof, and means arranged at the rear ofsaid inclosure and removabl'yholding the side plates to the back;

9. An illuminated sign'consisting of a front display-sheetreceiving frame at its rear face having side plate securing stops and back sockets, and a knock-down lamp inclosure consisting of aback haying its ends fitting said sockets and removable side plates at their outer edges having flanges lapping the "side edges of said-back and at their 'front edgeshaving'flanges fitting said frame and secured thereto by said stops, and means removably holding said side p ates to said back. In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

i 1 MICHAEL 0. RYAN. Witnesses J. AMos HoUsE, O. F. LooMIs. 

